L'Echapée Belle

First stop: Sens (45 minutes’ drive)? The Gothic cathedral is its best-known attribute – it encouraged quite a few copycats around France and Europe – but the markets and medieval old town are just as splendid. Second: Chablis (45 minutes)? Now, this is a title that wine connoisseurs might already be familiar with. The famed, slightly acidic Chablis wine comes from this region. Very many people visit the area to sample a glass or two, and it also helps that the town has some just-stunning medieval houses. Save a space in your itinerary for Troyes (50 minutes), which has an old town with half-timbered houses and a few Gothic churches – oh yes, not just the one. Auxerre (50 minutes) is beckoning too. Surrounded by vineyards, the city has a gorgeous riverside slope with an old town, churches and a cathedral. There’s no need to rush things; a slow-paced day just wandering around (and sipping a few wines or tucking to some local delicacies) is always welcome.